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uring the pandemic, many of us
ran to the kitchen, switched on
the Wi-Fi, and some like myself
made new friends with the spatula. Folks
have turned to YouTube, TikTok and other
social media for kitchen inspirations. We
have found comfort in food.
Whether it's virtually spending week-
ends at a country inn Zoom cooking class or
honing our culinary prowess through a
MasterClass tutorial by acclaimed chef
Thomas Keller, we have become the acci-
dental cook. masterclass.com/thomaskeller
Here's Our Pandemic Cooking Guide:
HELLO COOKING CLASSES
In Edmonton, Pei Pei Chei Ow (pronounced
"pe-pe-s-chew"), an Indigenous-inspired
catering company, incorporates the mar-
riage of contemporary and traditional
Indigenous cooking methods, sharing food
experiences. Learn how to make bannock,
Indigenous tacos, and honour the whole
animal of sisip (duck) via online classes.
peipeicheiow.com
Eating Europe, a bespoke city food tour
organization which leads tours in 10 Euro-
pean hubs, has rolled out fun online
cooking classes along with earlier YouTube
videos of colourful Italians who share their
favourite dishes and drinks from Florence
to Rome. Other European cities are
spotlighted too. eatingeurope.com/online;
Youtube.com/EatingEurope
Cooking magic is underway at The Lodge
at Chaa Creek. This solitary oasis in the
tropics of Belize schedules an "Open Hearth
Hands-on Cultural Cooking Class." Lucy
Fleming, Founder of The Lodge at Chaa Creek
says, "We recognize that guests will be
seeking opportunities to give back and con-
tribute to the communities they encounter,
and in Belize, not only do visitor arrivals help
to restart the tourism industry, but there are
countless opportunities for visitors to get
involved and make a difference, which is our
mission and passion." chaacreek.com/belize-
tours/open-hearth-cultural-cooking-classes
Spice up your life at the New Orleans
School of Cooking. Chef Vivian Ray and
others conduct lively Zoom cooking classes,
sharing chef secrets on favourite local
dishes like Bananas Foster, beignets and
shrimp étouffée. neworleansschoolof-
cooking.com/zoom-cooking-classes
LOCKDOWNS HAVE MADE PEOPLE
WANT TO TRAVEL MORE
One travel industry professional maintains
that travellers missing the joys of sussing
out local neighbourhoods for authentic
cuisine will see an upside to the lock-
downs. "People are 'hungry' for food tours
and we are expecting a big surge," says
Kenny Dunn, Founder of Eating Europe, on
the epicurean revival.
In addition, G Adventures, a small group
adventure travel operator, reports 51 percent
of Canadian travellers say lockdowns have
made them want to travel more than ever
before. Their adventure tours often include
food as an integral part of the travel experi-
ence. "We're seeing an increase in local
experiences, so you can live with a local,
TRAVEL SLEUTH >> BY ILONA KAUREMSZKY
DS
MASTER THE ART
OF COOKING
DURING A PANDEMIC
LESSONS FROM
FOODIE HUBS
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